Care Barriers to Employment and Training in the South West

1. Care Barriers to Employment and Training in the South West Workshop by Nigel Tremlett for South West Employment and Skills Forum8th January 2004

2. Purpose of workshop • To inform you about the research and its progress to date; and • To help to fill gaps in the secondary source data so far identified, by: • Identifying further research, data, sources of information, etc; and/or • Discussing appropriate means of collecting “missing” information via primary research

3. Research Objectives • To map carers in different age bands and types • To map legislation, funding and initiatives • To identify gaps in policy and provision acting as barriers to; • Carers’ participation in employment in training • Employers’ recruitment of carers • Advice and guidance providers’ support for carers • Public, private and voluntary sector training providers’ support for carers

4. Research Phases • Interim report • Highlighting early findings for each objective • Identifying gaps in available information • Full reports • A full report for each of the 6 objectives • Identifying findings at regional and sub-regional level and highlighting good practice • Dissemination • Sub-regional workshops • Regional conference

5. Research into the Barriers to Employment and Training for Carers European legislation National legislation Regional/sub-regional policies and programmes Carers (By age: <19, 20-45, 46-64, 65+ years) (By type of care: Children/Elderly/Disabled/Others) Training providers Employment Advice & guidance Training providers Employment

6. Main analysis categories • Carer age: • > 19 • 20-45 • 46-65 • 65+ • Carer type: • Young • Elderly • Disabled • Others • Carer sub-region: • South West LLSC areas

7. Workshop Part 2 (Some of) The Gaps And The Possible Solutions

8. Gap 1: Barriers to Carers’ Engagement in Employment, Training and Education • Reasonable range of secondary sources available • Some quantitative information at national level, but mostly qualitative • No differentiation by age, type or sub-region • Most reports cover employment – few on training or education: these are major two gaps • Proposed means of filling gap: qualitative • Three focus groups with 8-10 carers at each • One each for employment, training & education • Cross-section of carers (by type and age)

9. Gap 2: Barriers to Employers’ Recruitment of Carers • Reasonable secondary sources available • Some quantitative information at sub-regional level (LSCs employers surveys) • Some at national level • Some case study information available • Still a few gaps – primarily around “difficult” issue of why employers chose not to recruit carers • Proposed means of filling gap: qualitative • Two focus groups with 8-10 employers at each • One for those already employing carers and one for employers not already employing carers • Cross-section of employers

10. Gap 3: Barriers to Information, Advice and Guidance Providers’ Support for Carers • Narrow range of secondary sources available • A new report from IES is due shortly covering IAG providers perspective • Limited information on carers’ views or examples of good practice • Proposed means of filling gap: qualitative • Incorporate into carers’ focus groups for gap 1 • Collecting missing information from carers’ perspective of barriers to IAG support

11. Gap 4: Barriers to Public, Private and Voluntary Training Providers’ Support for Carers • Limited range of secondary sources available • Focus of most research is from carers perspective – little from perspective of providers • Some examples of good practice, but often at very localised level • Proposed means of filling gap: quantitative • Telephone survey of all 49 FE/HE providers in SW • Collecting data on; • Perceived barriers • Opinions on removing barriers • Facilities available to enable carers to participate